Comparison of the efficacy of nafcillin and glycopeptides as definitive therapy for patients with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia: a retrospective cohort study

• Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases 2018, Vol.18 (1)
• Main Authors: Oh, Dong Hyun, Kim, Jung Ju, Kim, Jinnam, Seong, Hye, Lee, Se Ju, Kim, Yong Chan, Kim, Eun Jin, Jung, In Young, Jeong, Woo Yong, Jeong, Su Jin, Ku, Nam Su, Han, Sang Hoon, Choi, Jun Yong, Song, Young Goo, Kim, June Myung
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacteremia; Care and treatment; Chemical properties; Dosage and administration; Glycoproteins; Nafcillin; Staphylococcus aureus
• ISSN: 1471-2334; 1471-2334
• DOI: 10.1186/s12879-018-2978-z

Studies have shown that the prognosis of the treatment of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) with glycopeptides is inferior compared to treatment with [beta]-lactam. However, there are only few studies comparing treatment with antistaphylococcal penicillin alone to glycopeptide treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of nafcillin, an antistaphylococcal penicillin, with that of glycopeptides as a definitive therapy for MSSA bacteremia. A total of 188 patients with MSSA bacteremia were included in this study. The glycopeptide group had a higher rate of malignancy (28.6 vs. 60.8%, p < 0.001) and proportion of healthcare-associated infections (47.3 vs. 72.2%, p < 0.001) compared to the nafcillin group. The ratio of skin and soft tissue infections (30.0 vs. 16.7%, p = 0.037) and bone and joint infections (17.8 vs. 6.3%, p = 0.022), as well as levels of C-reactive protein (139.60 vs. 107.61 mg/dL, p = 0.022) were higher in the nafcillin group. All-cause 28-day mortality was significantly high in the glycopeptide group (7.7 vs. 20.6%, p = 0.013). In patients with MSSA bacteremia, all-cause 28-day mortality rate was higher in a group treated with glycopeptides than in a group treated with nafcillin. Therefore, the use of nafcillin should be considered as a definitive therapy for MSSA bacteremia.